1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicular safety devices; and, more particularly, to a system that alerts when a child or pet is left unattended in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Every year children die, or suffer physical and emotional trauma from being left unattended in vehicles and exposed to prolonged heat, or cold. On hectic and busy days, it can be very easy for adults to experience momentary confusion and lapses in judgment. Parents and caregivers can be particularly susceptible to this, particularly as juggling the demands of career and family can cause one to lose focus on the task at hand, despite good intentions and diligence. In a hurry, the parent/care giver may consider it safe to leave a child in the car while quickly dashing into the establishment, or they may be so distracted that they leave the child behind without realizing they have done so.
Unfortunately, leaving a child alone in a car, even for a short period of time, can lead to tragic circumstances, especially on hot days. For instance, on a sunny afternoon with outside temperatures at a comfortable 73 degrees, the temperature within a vehicle can rise to 100 degrees in just 10 short minutes, and 120 degrees in a half hour. At 90 degrees outside, the interior of a vehicle can heat up to 160 degrees within several minutes.
A child's developing respiratory system makes them particularly vulnerable to heat exhaustion. As the heat rises, the body temperatures rise. An infant left in a vehicle during 100-degree heat can quickly suffer from heat stroke, with their body rapidly approaching the temperature of their environment. This problem is not limited to infants and children but is also subject to pets. Whether one is distracted and has forgotten that they have brought the family dog along on a morning's errands, or was in the process of dropping the family cat off at the vet's office when they were sidetracked by a business phone call or comparable distraction, the result can be that one leaves their animal unattended. Consequently, the animal is at risk for heat stroke or suffocation in the confines of the hot vehicle.
Problems associated with various heretofore disclosed and utilized safety type devices appointed to determine the presence of an infant or children in a vehicle concern effectiveness of these devices as well as battery life constraints. Effectiveness of such devices is limited, owing to the direct integration thereof within constructs of a car seat or infant seat. As a result, the device is not portable so it cannot be utilized outside of the presence of the vehicle and it cannot be utilized for a different seat. Further, many devices sense the presence of the infant/child by way of weight sensors integrated within the seat. In cases wherein the child or toddler unbuckles him/herself while within the car or is otherwise no longer seated within the seat with the sensor, the presence of the child will not be detected. Battery problems attending to such devices are also prevalent. Frequently, after prolonged use and constant engagement owing to the sensing of the child/infant in the seat, batteries within the device must be regularly replaces and monitored. Too often, the batteries become weak and require replacement, which cannot always be achieved promptly.
There remains a need in the art for a vehicular safety device notifying a user of the presence or occupation of a child or pet having a portable wireless alarm unit that is in communication with a second portable wireless unit so that the device can be used within a vehicle or outside of a vehicle. Further, there is a need in the art for a vehicular safety device that conserves battery power and life when the danger to the child or infant or pet is minimal.